Legal experts you can rely on
Costs Budget-Precedent H
Our company has embraced the changes brought about by the Jackson reforms and costs budgeting is no exception. With an in-house team of experienced costs draftsmen and legal experts, we are able to deliver an exceptional level of service, often on a tight deadline.
Managing your costs throughout the litigation period has become a vital part of the process and there can be potentially dire consequences for failing to adhere to the strict guidelines. The new rules state that all parties, except litigants in person, file a costs budget (claims worth less than £50,000.00) with their Directions Questionnaire or no more than 21 days before of the first CCMC for higher value claims. The penalty for failing to meet this requirement can be severe, with the party at fault to be limited to recovery of court fees only.
Costs budgeting is an ongoing process and this fosters close cooperation between the parties. This very much includes the relationship between solicitors and their costs draftsman, with a requirement to keep your budget up-to-date and the possibility that your costs will be restricted to the last agreed upon budget. With introduction of the Precedent T which is to be used in the event of the variation of a budget pursuant to Rule 3.15A, each party “must revise its budgeted costs upwards or downwards if significant developments in the litigation warrant such revisions.” Our expert team is on hand to provide their expertise and advice throughout the entirety of the litigation process if you have any concerns over your approved costs budgets or have any queries regarding any future costs.
Despite the potential pitfalls facing your company, budgets can also prove extremely useful in highlighting the poor conduct of the opposing party. This can prove crucial when arguing for the reasonableness and proportionality of your costs. Our fastidiously prepared budgets are designed to meet all requirements and present an accurate and compelling overview of your incurred costs. We do this using the latest costs drafting software to ensure accurate and sustainable budgets.
We are primarily instructed to help our clients manage their costs from the outset of a claim, but are equally happy to provide assistance at any stage of the litigation process, including attendance at the CCMC to deal with the budget assessment and preparation of electronic bill of costs for assessment proceedings post-settlement.